BACKING IN GREAT TECHNOLOGY RESET
THE great reset for our city needs to be anchored by innovation and technology with sustainable long-term government support.
No longer just a holiday destination, the Gold Coast’s dedication to encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship has seen the city technology sector thrive beside health and education.
In a few years, we have seen the emergence of fledgling smart companies rapidly develop into the fastest growing high-tech companies in Australia – and many are spreading their wings to provide services beyond our sunny shores.
It includes Australia’s leading developer of webbased augmented and virtual reality experiences, interactive digital technologies and 3D modelling, a new space technology company which has just had a major government grant, to finetuned biomedical engineering supporting the city’s Health and Knowledge Precinct.
Innovation is mushrooming and we need more of it and for our younger generation to venture into new territories that can add value to Gold Coast’s widening base of industries and provide a strong base for future employment aligned with growing global demand for robotics, automation, specialised manufacturing and technology, augmented reality and artificial intelligence.
Turns out there is a hive of activity on the Gold Coast with local and internationally owned tech companies paving the way for some impressive advancements in robotics, space technology, virtual reality and more – from Gold Coast innovative hi-tech start-ups making everything from rockets to world-first artificial hearts, sports technology firms seeking growth funding and our film industry attracting global interest.
Having directors such as Baz Luhrmann give our city the stamp of approval not just in filming, but post filming edit, is a coup and compliment for talent in our region.
Our city has relied too heavily for too long on just construction, tourism and hospitality – areas we value that provide well for our city – but also suffer consequences of the property market cycles as well as pandemics and other global and local incidents that impact visitation.
The advancement of technology is a fundamental feature of human progress – and presents great opportunities to build a strong, technology-oriented industry on the Gold Coast, offering the advantages of a beach lifestyle, and to continue to nurture and encourage the fledgling businesses that have already established a name for themselves – and importantly to assist more start-ups and technology platforms to strengthen their humble beginnings.
But – and there is a very big but – what is needed for a truly transformative impact on high-tech development is for our leaders to provide the much-needed support through infrastructure, and to spend big money on research, advanced technology, and higher education – and keep at it for quite some time. We need to start this investment push into innovation … now!